This to internal doors for motor vehicles, and more particularly to doors permitting controlled access between compartments in a parcel van or similar vehicle.
A number of vehicles are now available for purchase or rent which provide a rear section for storage of cargo, and a front section for accommodation of passengers. The sections are typically separated by a "bulkhead" wall. It is generally desirable to provide a passageway in the bulkhead wall to permit access between the passenger section and the cargo section. Such access facilitates loading and unloading of the cargo section and permits passengers to conveniently retrieve, at appropriate times, items temporarily stored in the cargo section. It is also desirable to provide a door to close the passageway in order to prevent migration of items from the cargo section into the passenger section and to minimize the exchange of climate-controlled air in the passenger section with the untreated air of the cargo section
One type of door which has been used in parcel vans as an internal door is a "sliding door" disposed parallel to, and immediately adjacent, the bulkhead wall. The door is generally located on the passenger-section side of the bulkhead wall so that cargo does not interfere with the movement of the door.
Such prior-art doors suffer from several problems Even in their closed position, the prior-art internal doors are prone to vibration and rattle. The prior-art doors do not provide a good seal between the door panel and the bulkhead wall, thereby permitting substantial air exchange between the passenger section and the cargo section. These doors also permit infiltration of noise and dust from the cargo section into the passenger section and aggravate the difficulty of providing appropriate climate-control in the passenger section.
An additional problem is that the prior-art doors employ a locking mechanism which requires a mating strike or similar structure which protrudes into the passageway. Such protrusion can interfere with loading and unloading of the cargo area, and is therefore undesirable.
Another problem with prior-art doors is that they are typically located immediately adjacent the bulkhead wall. It is frequently desirable to apply a wall treatment material, such as carpet, foam, or padding, to the surfaces in the passenger section of the vehicle to reduce noise levels and improve passenger comfort. These functions of the wall treatment material inherently require that the material be relatively thick. Due to this thickness, the material may physically interfere with the operation of the door, or use of such wall treatment materials may be entirely precluded by the prior-art doors.